Sequence actuator for switches



July l7, 1951 w. A. LAUDER SEQUENCE ACTUATOR FOR SWITCHES Filed Feb. 5,1949 INVENTOR. Wallace A. Lauder A T TOfiNE K5 Patented July 17, 19512,560,964 SEQUENCE ACTUATOR FOR SWITCHES Wallace A. Lauder,

West Nyack, N. Y., assignor to The W. L. Maxson Corporation, New York,N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 5, 1949, SerialNo. 74,831

2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to switch actuating mechanism. It isa primary object of the invention to provide a simple, compact andinexpensive actuator attachable to a switch unit, and adapted to bedesigned to produce any prescribed cycle or schedule of operations forthe switch in conjunction with other mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specification Fig. 1 is afragmentary perspective view showing a novel end actuator embodyingfeatures of the invention attached to a switch of standard construction;

head actuator embodying the invention applied to a switch of standardconstruction; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a bell-crank actuating member employedin the actuator of Fig. 2.

The switch illustrated in Fig. 1 may be in all substantial respectsidentical with the switch disclosed and claimed in a pending applicationof Peter J. McLaren and Cyril O. Benson, Serial No.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing an over- 718,832 filed December2'7, 1946, now Patent No.

2,521,015 for Snap Over Toggle Switch. Reference may be had to saidpending application for a full, detailed disclosure of the switch.

The switch comprises lower and upper casing members I and 2 within whicha snap over toggle switch mechanism is mounted. The switch mechanism isarranged to be actuated by a plunger 3. The lower casing member I isprovided with contact tongues 4, 5 and 6. The contact tongue 4 isinvariably connected, directly or indirectly, to one terminal of avoltage source, while the tongues 5 and 6 are alternatively, selectivelyconnected to the opposite terminal of the voltage source.

The movable switch contact moves up in response to a downward thrust ofpin 3, and moves down as the pin returns to the up position. The tongue5 is connected to a conductor which extends above the movable switchmember within the casing to engage said member in the down or actuatedposition of the plunger 3, while the tongue 6 is connected to a lowercontact which extends below the movable switch member to engage it whenthe plunger 3 is in the up or normal position. The more common practiceis to connect the tongue 5 in circuit and leave the tongues 6unconnected, so that the up position of the plunger 3 will be an opencircuit position, and the down position will be a closed circuitposition. In some instances, however, the tongue 6 may be connected andthe tongue 5 left unconnected, so as to make the upper contact an activeone, and the lower contact an idle one.

The lower casing member I is formed. with openings I through whichmounting screws (not shown) may be passed for securing the casing to asupporting structure. The upper casing section 2 has ears 8 which fitinto recesses formed in the side margins of the lower casing section I.A pin 9, passed into the ears 8, and through the central body portion ofthe lower casing section I, serves to secure the casing sections infixed relation to one another.

The casing sections I and 2 are desirably molded of an insulating,phenolic condensation product such as Bakelite. The upper casing section2 has formed in its upper face a recess I0, shown as generallyrectangular, to receive and firmly locate a metallic adapter plate I I.The upper casing member 2 is formed with two drilled openings in whichcase hardened, self-tapping screws I2 and I3 are threaded for securingthe adapter plate to the casing. The adapter plate is formed with anopening I5 through which the plunger 3 passes.

The spring arm I1 is attached to the plate II by a single rivet I8, andis held against turning by the screw I3, which is passed through it.

The plate II is formed with a pair of upstanding ears I9 and 20 at itsopposite sides which provide aligned bearings for a rotatable shaft 2|.The shaft 2I has fast upon it a ratchet wheel 22 and a cam 23. The cam23 includes a succession of notches at tooth space intervals which areof varying depth. The shaft is advanced through the ratchet wheel atooth space at a time by mechanism to be described, and causes the cam23 to be correspondingly advanced in contact with the leaf spring I1.

The leaf spring, influenced by the cam, operates the actuating plunger 3of the switch, the plunger being held down when the cam occupies aposition like that shown in the drawing, and being allowed to rise whenthe cam is advanced to locate a deeper notch over the end of the leafspring IT. The leaf spring I1 serves both as an operating member for theplunger, and also as a spring detent for preventing over-travel of theratchet wheel and retrograde movement thereof.

The ratchet wheel is operated by a pawl 24 which consists of a leafspring afiixed to one arm 25 of a U-shaped slide frame 26. The oppositearms 25 and 21 of the frame 26 are formed with slots 28 through whichthe shaft 2| passes. As

low and deep notches.

'nism of Fig-.1 is retained.

the frame 26 reciprocates to carry the pawl to and fro, it is supportedand guided in part by the shaft 2|. The U-shaped frame 23 spans theratchet wheel 22 and the cam 23.

A stem 29 rigidly attached to the body 39 of the frame 26 is slidinglyguided and supported in an upstandingearfl of the plate II. The stem isdesirably provided with an operating collar 33 at its outer end whichmay be actuated manually or by a cam (not shown). A compression coilspring 34 is interposed between the body 35 of the frame 26 and a fourthupstanding car 35 of the plate H. The spring 34 urges the frame 26toward the right as the parts are shown in the drawing to the retractivelimit of movement of v,

the pawl 24. When the stem 29 is thrust toward the left as far as it cango, a feed step is imparted to the ratchet wheel 22, and hence to theshaft 2| and the cam 23.

The cam 23 is shown as having alternate shal- The sequence can be variedin any desired manner, however, so as to produce a sequence ofoperations of the switch harmonious with the law of operation of themechanism in connection with which the switch is used.

In some installations it is advantageous to .adaptthe sequence actuatorfor operation from the-top rather than the end of the switch. To thisend, the structure of Fig. 1 is modified as illustratedin Fig. 2 toprovide an overheadactuator.

Except for the parts which will be described in detail, thesequenceactuatorof Fig. 2 is the same as that of; Fig. l. The adapterplate ll of Fig. l is replaced by a lenger adapter plate Ma asillustrated Fig. 2, but otherwise the entire mecha- The button 330. ofFig. 2 which corresponds to the operating collar 33 of Fig, l isprovided with a reduced portion in which is formed-a circumferentialgroove defined by-tapered sides 33b and 330. A bell crank aotuator 36(see Fig. 3-) is provided with a slotted opening '31 and with legs 38.The actuator is here mally'loosely confined in the button groove and insuitable openings 3S which are formed in the adapter plate Ha.Confinement of the actuator-36 is accomplished by initially forming theopening into the slot 31 wide enough to pass the waist portion of thebutton 33a between the shoulders 33'band'33c as shown by dotted lines inFig. 3, and then reducing the opening by crimping the legs 38 togetherafter the assembly of the parts has been effected. The structure of Fig.'2

with the bell crank 36 omitted may be provided if only end operation isdesired. Alternatively, the structure as illustrated in Fig. 1 may beutilv ized.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of myinvention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodimentsshown, but what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

l .Aswitchactuator adapted for application to a switch; unit comprising,in combination, a mounting plate attachable to the switch unit, a

.switch actuating member carried by the plate,

a shaft, ears on the mounting plate for providing aligned bearings'forthe shaft, a cam fast on the shaft for engaging and operating theactuating member, a ratchet wheel fast on the shaft, a pawl foractuating the ratchet wheel step by step, a frame upon which the pawl ismounted, said frame being U-shaped to span the cam and the ratchet wheeland having guide slots in its legs through which the shaft extends, theframe also in ludi g ariei pe at n s m. n an r on the mounting plate inwhich the stern is sl'idingly supported.

2 A switch actuator adapted for application to a switch unit comprising,in combination, a mounting plate attachable to the switch unit, a switchactuating leaf spring carried by the plate, a shaft r tablv supported bythe p t a ratchet wheel fast on the shaft, a pawl for advancing theratchet wheel a tooth space at a'time, a cam fast on the shaft forengaging and operating the switch actuating ,leaf spring, the camhavinga succession of notches of varying depths at tooth spaceintervals, and the switch actuating leaf spring having a roundedprojecting portion for entering the notches and adapting the spring toserve effectively also as a spring detent cooperating with the cam toprevent over-travel of the ratchet wheel and retrograde movementthereof.

WALLACE A. LAUDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of ti p en UNITED STATES PATENTS

